Haru looks at his friends through his mind's eye wondering if his soul has a mate in this lifetime. Yes, he wants to be free, but loneliness chains him to the dark depths he wants to escape.
Each one is important to him, but none of them seem to fit the puzzle piece of his heart. Sapphire eyes close on the world as Haru thinks. Makoto is a steady support–constantly there, but he gives too much of himself. Sometimes Haru sinks into Makoto's shadow, and lets Makoto do everything for him. Haru doesn't want to be unable to move without Makoto by his side. He's already given Makoto a large part of his heart, but he can't give it all, because then he would disappear into Makoto's loving arms; Haru knows he would never surface again. As much as he loves his friend, he passes by him. He might not drown with Makoto by his side, but he'll never spread his wings either.
Nagisa is too bright. He loves Nagisa like the brother he's never had, but he's not right either. Blonde hair shines like Nagisa's personality and his energy. Nagisa doesn't balance him–Nagisa drains him of energy. The younger boy is full of life and energy and Haru doesn't have the strength to calm him down.
Haru comes to the next name on his list, the last of the Iwatobi Swimming Club. Rei is Rei, Haru thinks with an idle smile on his lips. He enjoys the presence of the younger male, but he knows their incompatible. Rei has a way with words, but Haru communicates best in silences and stares. Rei and he would pass by each other without touching in the middle.
Then Haru comes to Rin. Rin is flighty and passionate. Where Haru is calm blue, Rin is a fiery, burning red. His red scorches Haru, and while it makes his blood boil in competition, Rin's passion is something he cannot match. Haru pauses while thinking of Rin. It's true that they have balance, but that balance is unstable. If they were set their weights in the two pans of a scale, they wouldn't settle at neutral but constantly battle each other for dominance.
Haru dwells on Rin. The redhead is almost right. He's searching for someone who supports his energy instead of drains it, and there is no doubt that Rin does it. But Rin is still too bright, and too strong of a presence. A small sigh escapes Haru as he turns to look at the other people he knows. His relationships shift and flow as the year progresses and his own emotions rise and fall. As high school winds to an end, another presence bursts into his life.
Sousuke challenges him with a passion that's strong, but not overbearing. Haru recalls his middle school days, and hearing what Rin has to say about his best friend from Sano. Sousuke is reliable in a way similar to Makoto, but his strength is solid and steady where Makoto's rises to meet any challenge. Haru starts off at odds with Sousuke, but their energies are equal and opposite, and the dispute can't last long.
He changes from a stranger to a friend and then to something more. Where Sousuke's dream is cut off by injury, Haru picks it up for him. At the end of the year, Haru realizes he's swimming for more than just himself, but it's a burden he realizes comes with being an adult. He makes this choice himself, and therefore his freedom is left unrestricted. Sousuke never holds him back, but pushes him gently forward. Sousuke becomes a strong support in his life, the banks that guide Haru's river toward the future.
Haru is touched by many people in his life, but only one complements him perfectly.